Lock washer



Sept. 1938- A. HALL ET AL 2,128,938

LOCKWASHEB Filed Jan. 50, 1937 Patented Sept. e, 1938 2,128,938

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCK WASHER Albert Hall, Narberth, and Wilson T. Young, Oakmont, Pa., assignors to James H. Gravell, Elkins Park, Pa.

Application January 30, 1937, Serial No. 123,094 2 Claims. -(c1. 151-14) This invention relates to improved means for cured together by means of the bolt 1 and nut looking a nut or similar internally threaded mem- 8. the bolt bein p vi ed w th a he d 9 and he her on a bolt, stud or similar externally threaded threads Ill, and the nut, of course, being intermember, v nally threaded. as at H. Applied to the outer The principal object of the invention is to proface of e n as w is 0111 improved 100R vide an extremely simple and relatively inexwasher indicated as a whole by the reference pensive lock washer which can be applied to the character l2 the details of which will now be debolt after the nut has been applied thereto. scribed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a It consists primarily of a. housing 13 and a device of the character described which can be locking band [4. The housing is provided with m removed with the same wrench or tool that is an interior recess IS in which the band I4 is employed in removing the nut. mounted. The outer face Iii-of the housing, 1. e.

Still another object of the invention is to proe face a y from the hut W t e de ce is vide a look washer, as described, which will tend in locking p s n. presents a t r r flan e to follow the nut to tighten the same should any I tow rd h bolt w h the Opening d fin d |5 wear or looseness develop during service. thereby of slightly greater dimension than the A further object of the invention is to provide outside dimension of the bolt threads.

a lock washer of the character described in The bend it s a sp Spiral ember Preferwhich the locking member itself provides athread ably of triangular cross n. as sh w n for applying the device to th b lt, composed of a single turn, the spiral correspond- Still another object of the invention is to proing to the Ditch the threads On the nut and v vide a lock washer of the character described on the bolt. The inside-0f the band is of a diamewhich is readily adaptable to any variation in adtel Such as to adapt it to be threaded on the justment which may be required and which an bolt. The outside diameter of the band is slightly be applied without special knowledge r tool a less than the inside diameter of the recess I5 well as one which can be removed and us d r so that the band is free to float slightly transpeatedly without injuring the washer itself, the Versely 0f e axis of the bolt p nut. or the bolt. The following end IQ of the band is turned Another important object of the invention is eutweldly an angle and iS p d o project to provide a locking device which will present into recess pocket 29 in the housing. he 30 a flat contacting face to the nut. leading end 2| being brought around substan- The foregoing together with such other objects lly to a Point approximately der the end as may appear hereinafter or are incident to our y t expressieh follOWihg of the invention are obtained by means ofaconstruction hand, We mean the end of the d wh ch is which is illustrated in preferred form in accomw y r he n wh n the locking device is panying drawing, wherein: placed in position on the bolt. This is clearly Figure 1 is a longitudinal section illustrating a shown in Figure 1. The other or free end 2| nut and bolt connection to which our improved of the band, therefore, will be considered as the lock washer has been applied; leading end because this is the end which first Figure 2 is a plan view of the face of our imenters the threads on the bolt. proved lock washer which is applied against the The inner face 22 of the housing presents a back of the nut; flat face against the nut 8 so that uniform and Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figsnug contact is made between the nut and the ure 2; look washer.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig- The perimeter of the lock washer may be of ure 2; and any desired shape. In the present instance we Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fighave shown it of hexagon shape to correspond ure 2. h with the customary hexagon nuts but the faces In the following description as well as in the of each of the six sides of the hexagon are scalclaims we wish it to be understood that the loped as at 23 in order to provide a convenient term bolt" is intended to be understood as apgrip for the fingers so that the device may be plying to any similar male threaded element and readily applied to the bolt. This, of course, is the term "nut to any similar female threaded not material to the invention and it will be element. understood that the washer may be made of In Figure 1 we have shown two members 6 seany desired shape.

We prefer to provide suitable means for hold- .ing the spiral band in its proper threading position and to this end we provide a lug 24 at a point substantially opposite to the end I! which lug projects inwardly sumciently far so that the band will be held in its true spiral position when it abuts thereagainst with the end I 9 substantially flush with the inside of the outer face 22.

After the band has been inserted in the housing we may then provide one or more inwardly projecting positioning lugs 26 which are of progressively greater thickness axially of the bolt opening from the end 2| of the band to the end IS, the progression in thickness corresponding, of course, to the pitch of the spiral.

In this way the band may be held in its proper threading position in the housing although free to move slightly transversely of the axis of the bolt opening as already mentioned.

The operation of the device is as follows. After the parts are bolted together and the nut 8 applied our improved lock washer is applied to the outside of the nut, the band [4 acting as an internal thread corresponding in pitch to the threads on the nut and on the bolt. The end l9 which engages in the recess 20, during advancing movement of the lock washer, will have a tendency to slightly expand the band so that the device can readily be screwed down. Reverse movement, i. e. unscrewing movement, will cause the band to contract and tightly grip the bolt and thereby prevent the nut from coming off.

It will be obvious that the device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive to manufacture, that it can be quickly applied at the back of any nut and that it may be readily removed by means of the same tool with which the nut is removed although the grip of the band is sufficiently great to prevent such removal except upon the application of far more force than is ever met with under normal loosening move- 1 ments. Indeed, if looseness or wear in the joined parts develops the tendency is for the nut and the lock washer to advance more tightly upon the bolt because the only way in which vibration can act to move the nut and the washer is in a direction to tighten the parts rather than to loosen them.

If removed with a suitable wrench the lock washer may be reused and the process of removal and reuse entails no damage either to the lock washer itself or to the bolt or nut or the threads on either.

Furthermore the use of our improved locking device prevents damage to the members which 1. A follower for locking a nut on a bolt, comprising a housing having a central aperture of greater dimension than the diameter of the bolt, a split spiral band carried in said housing and adapted to thread onto the bolt, said band being normally free to float slightly transversely of said housing, interengaging means between the housing and the following end of the band, and band retaining means projecting from the wall of the recess.

2. A lock washer to follow the nut on a bolt, said washer presenting a flat contacting face toward the nut and being formed with a recess 3 surrounding the bolt opening, a split spiral band in the recess adapted to thread onto the bolt, said band being normally free to float slightly transversely of the axis of the bolt opening, and interengaging means between the following end of the band and the washer, said recess being provided with projecting means for holding the band in threading position.

ALBERT HALL.

WILSON T. YOUNG. 

